B.C. running back Stefan Logan, left, gets face masked by Argos defensive back Willie Pile Friday night in Toronto. (Ron Poling/Canadian Press)The B.C. Lions remained in the hunt for top spot in the West Division and clinched a playoff berth with a 24-20 victory over the Toronto Argonauts at the Rogers Centre on Friday night.
Starting quarterback Buck Piece led the Lions to a pair of touchdowns and running back Stefan Logan rushed for 144 yards.
"I looked up at the clock and knew we had better keep giving it to him to run it out," backup Lions quarterback Jarious Jackson said of Logan. "Can't say enough about Stefan. He keeps getting better and better each game."
Piece, who's been nursing a bad ankle, was replaced by Jackson in the third quarter.
Lions head coach Wally Buono said having a healthy Jackson on the sidelines made it easier to take Pierce out and not risk further injury.
"I've been criticized for using them this way but we feel comfortable with using both," he said. "Coming in, we knew Buck's ankle was sore so there was no sense letting him get beat up."
Defensive end Cameron Wake pushed his sack total to a league-leading 19 after taking down Kerry Joseph in the fourth quarter. The second-year standout has notched 35 sacks in his first 32 games.
The win was the fifth in a row for B.C. (9-5) and moved the Lions into a three-way tie for first place with the Calgary Stampeders (9-5) and Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-5) in the West.
The Lions snapped a 17-17 tied with 4:28 left in the third quarter when Pierce hit Logan in the flat for a 10-yard touchdown pass.
The teams exchanged turnovers in the fourth quarter before Toronto kicker Mike Vanderjagt converted a 30-yard field goal with more than three minutes left, cutting B.C.'s lead to 24-20.
The Argos would get no closer as quarterback Joseph's desperation throw on the game's final play was intercepted by defensive back Korey Banks.
"It could've gone either way," lamented Buono. "We picked it off in the end zone. If we hadn't, it might've been a different result."
The loss extended Toronto's losing streak to five games.
The game featured the return of Joseph, who was replaced by second-yard pivot Cody Picket the last two games.
Running back Jamal Robertson was outstanding in the loss for Toronto, gaining 139 yards and two long touchdown runs.
Toronto (4-10) failed to gain ground on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-8), who remain in second place in the East.
"We are closing the gap and we're very close to having it closed," said Argos head coach Don Matthews. "We can see it coming closer, that's the point of what we're trying to do.
"We know it's there. We just have to do a couple more things and then we'll be on the winning edge of this thing."
The Lions opened the scoring on their first drive following a six-play, 67-yard effort. Piece found slot back O'Neil Wilson, who made a terrific one-handed grab in the end zone just 3:33 into the first quarter.
A Paul McCallum 18-yard field goal put B.C. in front 10-0 early in the second quarter before the Argos struck back with their first touchdown.
On the first play of the ensuing possession, Robertson found an opening on the left side of the offensive line and scampered 75-yards for the touchdown at 13:36 of the second, reducing the Lions' lead to 10-7.
B.C. responded quickly by taking advantage of two costly Argo penalties. Running back Charles Roberts then powered his way to a one-yard TD early in the second to restore B.C.'s 10-point lead.
Roberston did his best to keep Toronto in the game. The Ohio native outraced the Lions' defence for a second time, dashing to a 48-yard scoring run at 12:08 of the second.
Vanderjagt pulled Toronto even on the team's first drive of the second half, nailing a 28-yard field goal.
During halftime, Kevin Vosburgh of Calgary had an opportunity to win $1 million as part of a contest sponsored by Wendy's, but his 50-yard field goal attempt fell significantly short of the uprights.
With files from the Canadian Press
